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Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Dal Tadka !

Dal Tadka (aka Tempered Yellow Lentils) from the Punjabi cuisine is a prominent dish in every restaurant / eateries / dhabas in India. Even though people love to order other gravy dishes there will one serving of dal tadka or dal fry ordered for sure. It is so simple but remarkable flavors with the generous tadka done on cooked yellow dal with asafosdita, cumin and chillis.

And coming to the difference between dal fry and dal tadka, dal tadka is where dal is cooked with onions and tomatoes and lastly a generous tadka of spices is poured over it. Whereas in dal fry dal is pressure cooked separately, and later mixed with sauted onions and tomatoes with spices. Will post the dal fry recipe too soon.

I have mixed toor dal and moong dal but masoor dal (split red lentils) can also be added to this.

INGREDIENTSEnglish

English

Tamil

Telugu

Hindi

Quantity

To Pressure Cook

Toor Dal

Thuvaram
Parupu

Kandi
Pappu

Tuvar /
Arhar Dal

1/2 cup

Moong Dal

Paitham
Parupu

Pesara
Pappu

Moong Dal

1/4 cup

Turmeric
Powder

Manjal
Thool

Pasupu

Haldi

1/4 tsp

Red
Chilli Powder

Milagai
Thool

Kara Podi

Lal Mirch
Powder

1/2 tsp

Salt

Uppu

Uppu

Namak

As Needed

Onion

Vengayam

Ullipaya

Pyaaz

1 Medium

Tomato

Thakkali

Tamata

Tamatar

2 Medium

Green
Chillis

Pachai
Milagai

Pachi
Mirapakaya

Hari
Mirch

2 nos

For the Tadka ( Tempering)

Clarified
Butter

Nei

Neyyi

Ghee

1 tbsp

Oil

Ennai

Nune

Thel

1 tbsp

Cumin
Seeds

Seeragam

Jeelakara

Jeera

1 tsp

Asafoedita

Perungayam

Inguva

Hing

a pinch

Green
Chillis

Pachai
Milagai

Pachi
Mirapakaya

Hari
Mirch

3 - 4
slit

Dry Red
Chillis

Kaindha
Milagai

Endu
Mirapakaya

Sukhi
Mirch

2 Nos

Ginger

Inji

Allam

Adrak

1 piece
Julliened

Garlic

Poondu

Vellulli

Lehsun

3 cloves

Dried
Fenugreek leaf

Kasuri Methi

1 tsp

Coriander

Kothamalli

Kothimeera

Dhaniya
Patha

few
sprigs

STEPS

Take both the dals and wash them well.

Chop onions , tomatoes and chillis finely.

Juliene some ginger and crush some garlic and keep ready.

In a pressure cooker, take the washed dal, onions, tomatoes chillis and enough water to immerse the dal. Add salt, turmeric powder and little red chillipowder and pressure cook for 2 - 3 whistles.

Once the pressure settles and check if the dal is cooked well. Dont mash them so much.. you should see the whole dal here and there. Add chopped coriander to this.